The Cat Prince
by Kai19
Summary: A/U: Based on The Frog Prince. Prince Harry has been turned into a cat by a witch, who wanted him to marry her daughter. In his escape, he finds a young man in need of help, and offers it. In return for a favor: A kiss to break the spell.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is an A/U, and is based on the Frog Prince (not the Disney version). Magic exists in this world, and is used, but only by adults who are trained in their late teens. The system of royalty and nobility is still in place. Also, the latin apparently translates to, "animal kiss".

Disclaimer: I don't own it, obviously, otherwise that epilogue would've never happened.

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 1 – "I promise!"

"But muuuum! I don't want to have to kiss a frog!"

"Shh! Don't worry, Ginny, you won't. I said it's _like_ that spell, not that it _is_ that spell."

"So what will he be?"

"Whatever his inner animal will be. It'll lock him in what would be his animagus form until he receives his kiss from his love. You just have to make sure that person is you."

"But what if he just runs off again when he's normal again?"

"Ah, that's the beauty of the spell. Whoever kisses him – you – will be able to turn him back into that animal at will, until he comes to love and trust you. If he tries to run, just snap your fingers, and he'll be an animal again."

"Thank you so much, mum!"

"You're very welcome, swee- Shh! He's coming!"

"…."

"Bestiae basiare!"

* * *

Draco Malfoy, only son of the current duke, Lucius Malfoy, stood outside and flicked his wand, but nothing happened. He made sure the inflection was on the right parts of the words, but nothing happened. He drew himself up to his full height – which wasn't much – and glared in annoyance at the piece of wood in his hand. Maybe it wasn't responding the same because it was his grandfather's wand. But his own had restrictions on it, since he wasn't 17 for another four months, and was currently kept in his father's study.

Sighing, he tried again. And again. And again. Finally, his frustration got the better of him and he snapped, throwing the stupid wand into the air behind him. He wasn't near water, so it wasn't a concern, but then he heard something that made a cold chill come over him. A rustling of leaves, and no 'thump' of the wand hitting the grass behind him. Turning slowly, he looked up at the trees nearby, only to see that the wand had in fact gotten stuck in some of the branches of one of them. Even worse, there was no way to climb up there, and if he went to ask for a servant to bring a ladder, or worse, asked his father or godfather to help, then he would likely end up having to explain how his deeply respected and admired grandfather's wand had ended up in the tree in the first place. His father would be furious to know he was playing around with Abraxas Malfoy's wand. In fact, he only had a little longer before his father went to the library, and saw the wand was missing from the family collection of their ancestral wands.

Hurrying over to the tree, Draco stared up at the wand and wondered in despair how he could get the wand back down. He was so focused on the wand that he didn't even hear the rustling nearby until someone spoke.

"I'll get it down for you," the voice offered, and the blond spun around, both anxious for some help, but also worried about being caught. But… there was no one there. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, then flew upward in surprise at a tap on his foot. Looking down, he found himself looking at a small black kitten with bright green eyes, and a grey mark on his forehead, in the lightning bolt shape of the rune 'Sowelu', the sun's rune, or the rune of power. He wondered if it was just a natural birthmark, or something a person put on the kitten, but then the cat was speaking again, and he was distracted from his musings.

"It's not that hard, I can climb up there easily, see?" He held up one small black paw and extended sharp claws. Then the kitten made his way to the tree and slowly, carefully, began to make his way up, almost as if it was new to him to do it. As his paws were just moving onto the branch, Draco heard his father's voice, calling for him that his godfather had just arrived for a visit, though he knew there would also be a lesson in potions, which the man was a master at. Now he had to hurry back, and the blond looked up at the kitten anxiously.

"Hurry! I have to go!"

"Almost got it!" the cat assured him, finally resting a paw on Abraxas' wand. "Ready to catch it?" he asked, and Draco held out his hands, nodding. "Will you do me a favor in return for it?"

"What?" the teen asked, gaping up at the almost smug looking cat. "You didn't tell me before you went up there!"

"Of course not. You'd have refused, I'm sure. Just say yes, and I'll toss it down. I promise, it's nothing like being my slave or doing anything embarrassing. I just want one thing from you, and it's not even a material item."

His father called his name again, and Draco called back that he was on his way.

"I don't have time for this!" the blond snapped.

"I know, so just agree. I promise, it's only a small favor, no monetary value, and then I'll be gone from your life forever."

Silvery eyes narrowed up at bright green ones, but finally Draco realized he really had no choice. "Fine," he acquiesced. "One favor, now hurry!"

"Promise?"

"I promise!" The kitten nodded, accepting the teen's word, and then flicked his tail as he tapped his paw on the wand, dislodging it from the branch. "Thank you!" Draco gasped, remembering his manners, as he caught the wand inches above the ground. Immediately, he raced off towards the manor that was his home.

"Hey! Wait!" the kitten could be heard crying out from behind him. But the blond was in too much of a hurry to not be caught, and ignored the mewls from behind him, thinking the cat would be able to get itself down from the tree, and follow him if it wanted.

"You promised!" said kitten finally yelled out, even as the teen was no longer visible. Sighing, green eyes looked down at the ground under him, feeling his fur standing up in his fear as he tried to figure out how to get down.

"Stupid prat," he muttered, his tail flicking as he tried to think of something other than jumping.


	2. Chapter 2

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 2 – "A promise is a promise"

"I had to JUMP, you stupid prat!" a voice suddenly snarled out during a lull in conversation that evening. Draco froze over his dinner, his parents and godfather looking around curiously, before turning to the youngest member of their dinner table, who was paler than normal, almost pure white, and the only person of the four to suddenly look very nervous. As they watched, a black kitten leapt up onto the empty end of the table, padding his way over to him. Lucius and Severus both stood, indignant at the presence of an animal on the dinner table, but the kitten's mouth opened, revealing fangs, a tiny pink tongue, and a very clear voice.

"I expected you to at least help me down! I was stuck up there for HOURS!" the cat snapped at Draco as he stalked over to him. "Now I'm cold and hungry and my fur's all frizzed out, and it's all your fault! After I risked my neck to help you!"

Immediately the teen leapt up and snatched at the cat, who nimbly dodged the hands reaching for him, padding over closer to Narcissa, who cooed and petted him and offered him a piece of shrimp, which the feline accepted delicately, licking his lips happily after he finished off the morsel.

A nervous Draco looked at his parents, and though his mother was distracted with fussing over the 'adorable' kitten, his father's eyes were narrowed, and his back straight as he sat again, watching his son.

"He helped you, Draco? With what?"

"Um…" Every brain cell the younger blond possessed was too busy screaming for him to lie, to attempt to come up with a good lie, or even a bad one. "Uh… Well…"

"He lost his wand," the cat offered, licking his paw before cleaning his whiskers, accepting another piece of shrimp. "It was stuck in a tree, and I climbed up there to get it down."

Now all three adults watched Draco, who was torn between flushing in embarrassment, and paling in dread. After all, when he wasn't being given his lessons, his wand was kept in his father's study for safekeeping, and his father had been in there all afternoon, performing his ducal duties.

"Ah-"

"Whose wand was it, Draco?" his godfather interrupted. Severus knew that the answer would determine the level of trouble the boy would be in, and also that Draco would realize it, too. By being the one asking him, the idea was that the teen would feel more comfortable, or at least less threatened, by answering him instead of Lucius.

"Ah… it…" The boy seemed to shrink into his chair. "It was Grandfather's…"

It had been a wise decision to make sure Draco didn't look at his father as he answered, as Lucius' eyes widened in shock, and his grip on his fork tightened to the point of his knuckles being white. Abraxas Malfoy had been deeply admired and respected by everyone, and his son had adored him more than any other had. To know such a precious, personal item had been treated so roughly by his own son was almost as if Draco had spat on the man's grave. Lucius Malfoy was furious, too much so to even speak.

"I had been having some trouble with a few spells, and wanted to practice them on my own…" Lucius was torn between being proud of his son for wanting to advance his abilities, but still… he shouldn't have touched Abraxas' wand.

"It got stuck in a tree," the kitten repeated, licking his paw and swiping it behind his ear. "I climbed up and got it out in return for a favor from him, but then he went and left me there."

"I told you I was in a hurry!" Draco suddenly snapped, getting his energy back. "Besides, you could've climbed back down!"

"No I couldn't!" the cat returned, bright green eyes focused on the teen. "I tried. I had to JUMP! I could've broken my neck!" He lifted onto all fours again, his fur rising as he hissed at the blond. Narcissa found this cute, and tried to pet the cat to calm him down again. It took a few well placed scratches and another piece of shrimp, plus a promise of a bowl of milk, to finally succeed in calming him back down again. "You promised to do me a favor, and you didn't even wait to ask about it, or to offer to carry me back. I've got short legs, you know, it took me a while to jump down and follow you." Another lick to his paw, which he moved over his face.

"How was I to know you couldn't climb down? I thought you would simply follow me. I had told you I had to go. And what's this important favor you need, anyway? Money?" As Draco spoke, dinner resumed, though Lucius was definitely still displeased, and at the mention of money, his eyes narrowed at the feline.

"Not at all. I told you, it has no monetary value. But… You might want to talk about this in private," the cat offered, only to find himself the focus of two suspicious glares from the older men.

"You will discuss this now," Lucius argued, ready to help his son, no matter how annoyed he was at him, if this 'favor' turned out to be detrimental to themselves or their king.

Shoulders slumping, the kitten ducked his head, looking a little embarrassed. He muttered something, causing Severus to frown in annoyance and tell him to speak up.

"I want a kiss…" he finally repeated, glancing up at Draco almost shyly. Everyone stared in shock, and the cat hurried to explain. "I had this curse put on me, it turned me into a cat, I'm really a person. This girl wanted me to marry her, because I had a higher rank, but I don't like girls," he told the group quickly, the black fur hiding his blush. "Well, her mother's a witch, and she asked for her help, and they turned me into a cat. Her mother told me that the only way I could turn back was to allow myself to be kissed – preferably by her daughter, I'm sure. I figure it was supposed to be a situation that frightened me and made me eager to accept anything in order to not be in this form, but I'd rather be like this than kiss her." He nodded, as if to make his point. "So, since you're a guy, and closer to my age, I was hoping you would do it," the kitten told Draco. "My name's Harry, by the way."

The Malfoy family and Severus all stared at the newly-dubbed 'Harry', numerous thoughts flowing through each of their minds. Severus was wondering about the spell, as was Lucius. Narcissa was horrified that someone would use such methods in order to force a marriage, and Draco was in shock and terror and outrage. First, he had promised to kiss a cat, even though he hadn't known it, then that cat was actually a young man, who liked other men. Not like Draco had ever thought much about it, personally, having been too focused in his studies and trying to be as good at magic as his grandfather, and make his father proud. Marriage was just am expected occurance in the future, and he would learn then who he was actually attracted to. But the worst of it all, to him, was that he was chosen just because he was the appropriate age and gender. He knew he was good looking, after all. He had pale, smooth skin and silky blond hair, not to mention unique silvery blue eyes. He wasn't very tall, he would admit that, nor was he very muscled, but he had no extra fat on him, and thought of himself as a very desirable person. And this…. CAT… had just insinuated that he was just another ordinary, run-of-the-mill male!

"Well, Harry," Draco near spat the name, trying to copy his father's icy tone that made others flinch and tremble in their boots, "you'll have to find another you can trick into kissing you, I'm not interested."

"But you promised!" Harry argued, leaping back up onto all fours, his tail twitching in agitation. "You can't go back on your word! This is the only favor I'm asking, and then I'll leave, I promise!"

"I agree," Lucius intervened before his son could argue, wiping his mouth with the linen napkin to remove any stray crumbs. "You have given your word, Draco. The Malfoy name will be stained if we show such an eagerness to neglect our oaths and betray the trust of others." He suddenly smirked, the cold, smug look slipping over his face so quickly that the teen felt himself shiver, and Harry moved a little closer to Narcissa, who was happy to pet him, though not hold him, not wanting to get little black hairs on her clothing. "You are also in need of some punishment. You took your grandfather's wand, and endangered it. You lied by omission to us. You are therefore confined to your room and the library for the next week." Draco's eyes widened in shock and horror. "You will also be Harry's host, and will have exactly one week in order to fulfill your promise, and kiss him. If his story is, in fact, the truth, then there could be worse things you could do than to help a subject of our King."

"But, Father-"

"No, Draco. Unless you wish to make it two weeks of restrictions, and only three days for the kiss?" At his son's paled face, the man nodded and set his napkin aside, standing and signifying that the meal was over. "I expect to see you both at breakfast. And I will be locking up the family wands, as you've shown me that I'm not able to trust you around them." Frowning slightly at his son, the man turned and stalked from the room, Severus walking by Draco and patting his shoulder before following his friend, while Narcissa carefully set Harry on Draco's lap, and kissed the top of her son's head before walking out after her husband.

"I hope you're happy!" Draco snarled at the kitten in his lap.

Harry merely smiled almost smugly and licked his paw again before resuming cleaning his whiskers.


	3. Chapter 3

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 3 – "All your fault"

Draco was sulking as he laid in bed that night, not that he'd ever admit it. But that's exactly what he was doing, locked in his room as he was. Well, maybe not 'locked', but the threat was there. Step a foot anywhere but there, the bathroom, the dining room, or the library, and he would definitely be punished. Plus there was also that lead feeling in his stomach, when he remembered how disappointed his father had been upon learning he'd been practicing with his grandfather's wand.

Of course, his father wouldn't have found out if it wasn't for the kitten currently sleeping on the chair in the corner. He'd tried to sleep on the bed, but Draco had kicked the feline off, almost literally. He had pushed him off with his foot, making 'Harry' hiss at him before climbing onto the chair, while listening to the teen's diatribe about how he wasn't allowed to sleep on the bed, nor to get his stupid black fur anywhere on his precious furniture, and there'd better not be any scratch marks anywhere, etc. Rolling his bright green eyes, Harry had snuggled down into the cushions of the chair and made a big show of getting comfortable before going to sleep.

The blond glared at his 'guest' before deciding there really wasn't much else for it. He was tired, and obviously the cat didn't feel like arguing with him, which was what Draco really needed at the moment. Frowning, he punched his pillow a few times before closing his eyes and falling back onto it again, forcing himself to try and sleep, and finally succeeding after nearly thirty minutes.

Of course, when he woke up in the morning he didn't think he'd slept at all, and groaned before pulling the blanket over his head. But this time there was someone else there, and he couldn't sleep in due to Harry pawing at the blanket before pouncing on Draco's head.

"Get off!" the blond snapped, shoving the cat from his head before sitting up and glaring at the innocent-looking feline. "What do you have against me, anyway?"

"What makes you think I have anything against you?" Harry asked in confusion, tilting his head and allowing his ears to lie back slightly.

"You show up on our property, and trick me into getting a favor, only to then reveal the secret to my father!" Draco began, glad to finally have this argument with the kitten.

"How was I to know that it wasn't your wand, and you were using it without permission?" The cat asked, his tail flicking behind him in agitation. "I just want this spell off of me!"

"That doesn't mean you can trick me into agreeing to it, and then insult me!" Draco huffed, crossing his arms. "Why not just have a wizard or another witch break the spell?"

"Because that's not how the curse is! It can only be broken with a kiss!" Then Harry frowned and took a step toward the blond. "Wait, what do you mean I insulted you? When did I insult you?"

"You chose me just because I was male! And around your age, apparently! I'll have you know that many people find me very desirable!" He couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, but he did have his pride!

"…" Harry stared in shock, his bright green eyes wide. "So… you took that as an insult?" At Draco's indignant nod, the kitten sighed. "Look, I'm not saying that you're not good-looking. I'm not!" he insisted at the glare. "I was just saying that's why I originally approached you. I'd have to be blind to not notice your good looks!"

His proverbial feathers much less ruffled, Draco uncrossed his arms. "So, are you really a person?"

"Yeah," Harry replied with a sigh, sitting on the bed. "Apparently, I'm pretty oblivious. It seems that she had been trying to get me to court her for a while now, and she finally got tired of waiting. They refused to listen when I told them that I liked other men, and had no interest in females." He shrugged tiny, furred shoulders. "They tried to grab me after I transformed, and I barely managed to escape." He shuddered, while Draco merely raised an eyebrow before climbing out of bed and beginning to pick out his clothing for the day, knowing he'd have to change in the bathroom. Cat or not, he wasn't about to undress in front of the other.

"So what makes you so wonderful that they decided to curse you?"

Harry climbed onto Draco's pillow, curling up and wrapping his tail around himself, much to the teen's annoyance. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I mean, I'm not really anything special, except for my rank, I guess…"

"What's your rank?" For the second time since Draco had first met him, the kitten looked embarrassed.

"Um… I'd rather not say. You're the heir to a dukedom, right? Has your family held the duchy for a long time?" This was apparently a good topic, as the blond immediately launched into his family history. Pretending to be interested, the cat nodded along, adding in questions now and then. There was a pause in their conversation when Draco went to clean up and dress, returning to find Harry asleep on his pillow.

Once Draco was ready, he poked at Harry to wake him up, and lead the drowsy feline through the halls to the dining room again. This time, there was an extra place set with a small set of bowls, making it obvious who was supposed to sit there. That, and the seat and table each had linen napkins spread out around his setting in order to catch any black fur that might shed as he ate. Over breakfast, Harry's lesson on Draco's family resumed, this time with the help of Lucius and Narcissa, who would insert information, or correct Draco if he made a mistake, until the cat was certain he knew the blond's family even better than his own. Though it did make sense a little, both of his parents were dead, and he lived with his father's advisor, who was like a grandfather to him. He was the current regent as Harry was too young, and now had other problems, like becoming human again. Sadly, Ginny and her mother were both trusted by Harry's adopted grandfather, and so would likely know where he was as soon as Harry contacted the man. They might even be sent to retrieve him, and that thought horrified him.

Whenever the other family questioned him, though, he would just try to be as vague as possible in his answers. While he wanted the spell to be broken, he really didn't want anyone knowing that he was actually Prince Harry James Potter, known to the realm as Prince James II, as his father had been such a popular king. He'd always been called Harry by those close to him, though, and preferred the name.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Draco and his father got into what the young royal would call an argument, but which he was certain would be considered a 'debate', and looked over to them, licking the fur around his mouth to get the drops of milk that clung to the individual hairs.

"But father! I need to practice my magic still! How could I become a proper wizard unless I do?" Lucius speared his son with a cold look.

"You should've considered the long-term results of your actions. I said you were to be confined to your room and the library. Your wand will remain in my study. Use this time to focus on your other studies." Draco sulked in his seat and was silent through the rest of breakfast, which was much more awkward and quiet now until it was finally finished, the pair of adults promising to see the children at dinner.

"This is all your fault, you know," Draco muttered, glaring at Harry, who now knew just to roll his eyes and convince the teen to go to the library with him.

* * *

Three days into the punishment, Harry had a new appreciation for the sheer cruelty of such a torture. He was so bored, he had found himself staring at the wall for what felt like hours, only to see that maybe five minutes had passed, if he was lucky. He was well and truly miserable.

"How can you stand this?" he asked Draco, laying across the table as he did so, the tip of his tail flicking now and then due to his restlessness. "I just want to go outside and actually be able to _do_ something!"

"Yes, well, we don't have that choice, do we?" the blond replied, though his voice missed the cold anger that had been there the first two days. It seemed almost routine now. Breakfast, followed by morning in the library, then return to the room to drop off some books, go to a small lunch together, Draco would receive lessons in the afternoons from Severus, while Harry would nap, and then they'd clean up for dinner (Harry yowling and scratching the first time he was put in the water, then merely scowling and snapping at anyone who mentioned his wet fur, or later on his extra-fluffy appearance). Finally, after dinner with the elder Malfoys, the pair would return to Draco's room and read (with the human turning the pages for the cat) until they were ready to sleep.

Though that night there was a new development. Like he had each previous night, Harry leapt onto Draco's bed, making it clear that he wanted to sleep up there. However, this time he didn't find himself shoved from the bed, or even moved. Draco simply rolled his eyes and gave up, climbing into bed and getting comfortable before falling asleep.

That night, Harry slept curled up against Draco's chest as the teen slept on his side, a purr making Draco smile subconsciously.


	4. Chapter 4

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 4 – "I'm sorry!"

The days seemed to drag on for the pair, more so for Harry who had no lessons to distract him, and no way to entertain himself. He had begun to ask Draco constantly to hurry up and kiss him, so he could at least do something on his own, but the teen always refused, giving one excuse or another as to why he wouldn't until he absolutely had no other choice. The most common was the argument that as it was Harry's fault, in the blond's opinion, that he was stuck with that punishment, and so he wanted to make sure the other suffered it, too, instead of running off once human again and leaving him to deal with it alone. To Harry, it meant that Draco saw him as a source of amusement during these boring times, and he would often try to scowl with his tail twitching in annoyance once presented with this statement.

Which was true, in a way. Mostly Draco simply enjoyed the companionship, having grown up alone for the most part. Oh, there were other young lords and ladies whom he saw at parties held by the families, but his days were typically spent alone in private study and, once he was old enough, in practice of developing his skills. He'd never had a pet, and he'd never had a real friend. So having Harry at his side constantly was a new experience, and one he found to be very enjoyable.

But, having never had a friend, he wasn't always the most knowledgeable in how to behave with the feline, occasionally treating him as a servant, and other times with the distant politeness he would use with the other young nobles he visited with. In fact, it would usually take Harry getting on his nerves to make the ducal heir behave almost normally as he lost control of his temper. Then Harry could see what Draco was really like, and actually try to be his friend, like he was with two favorite servants back in his own castle; his valet Ron, and a young maid named Hermione, who was considered the only person allowed to clean the library, due to her love of the books inside it. Not that he'd ever tell the blond. He doubted Draco would appreciate being even mentioned in the same sentence as a pair of servants.

However, sometimes these arguments would backfire, as Draco would refuse to talk to him for a little while, leaving the cat bored and alone until he would finally apologize to the teen, sometimes even finding ways to compliment or admire the future duke in order to get himself back in Draco's good graces.

Unfortunately for Harry, the current argument was once again his fault, but this time Harry wasn't about to back down. Draco had been rude to one of the servants and, having remembered his friends, the kitten had all but scolded his human friend for being so callous. This put Draco on the defensive, deciding that Harry had taken the other person's side, and cared more for the feelings of some lowly figure more than his own nearly royal person. Harry argued that both were human, and that the servants needed to be treated with some friendly respect, at least. The blond scoffed at the notion, making his feline friend's fur bristle as he stood on all fours on the teen's bed and hissed at him about honoring those who gave their lives to serve him, which made Draco decide that Harry must have been a servant before becoming a cat.

He began to treat Harry as such once the subject was dropped, even refusing to carry him as he had been when it was time for meals, leaving the tiny feline to try and hurry after him, calling out for him to wait. On the sixth day of their punishment, he wouldn't turn Harry's pages unless nearly begged, and he once again kicked Harry out of his bed, even though he admitted to himself that he hadn't slept nearly as well without the purring cat cuddled against his chest. Of course, he never said a word to Harry about it. In fact, he rarely spoke to his near constant shadow that entire day, and it all finally came to a head on the morning of their seventh day.

* * *

"Wake up!" Harry insisted, pawing at the teen's blanket-covered head. Draco had been acting awfully petulant lately, but the secret prince hoped that they would still be friends, even with their disagreements. He just couldn't suddenly decide to completely disregard servants, and he had no idea for any other reason why the blond was suddenly being so cold and distant to him. But he still understood the importance of the day, and was eager to finally actually sit down and talk about this with his friend, as two proper young men. "Today's your last day, you have to kiss me at some point!"

"Go away!" Draco replied, pulling the blanket tighter over his head. "I'm never kissing a stupid cat! Ever! I don't care what my father says!" A bad night's sleep, and a headache caused by the stress of their argument, meant he had a very short temper, and was in no mood to deal with what he assumed to be a lowly servant. He pushed the feline away, and when Harry kept trying to pounce on him, mewling almost playfully, he finally snapped and shoved hard at the kitten. His magic, having been building up due to his lack of recent practice and also his temper, lashed out with his hand, and he felt it rush from him even as he heard a cat's yowling, then a thud, and silence.

He lay there frozen in fear for a moment, then he was tripping over the blankets as he flew from bed, eventually falling down and having to crawl over to where the tiny furred form lay slumped against one of the walls.

"Harry?" he asked, worried. Sure, he was upset with the kitten, but still… Harry was still his friend, he just… didn't know how to be a friend, especially when there was the whole servant thing between them. But seeing the tiny cat unconscious and laboring to breathe had him forgetting their argument, and Harry's supposed lowly status, and he was torn between picking him up and hugging him, and leaving him laying there for fear of hurting him. "I'm sorry!" he kept saying over and over again, desperately trying to decide what to do. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! Please don't die! Please! I'll even kiss you! Just don't die, Harry!"

Feeling it was his only option to possibly save the cat's life, and leaned down and kissed the feline quickly, feeling the tiny nose pressed against his upper lip for a brief moment. Then Harry was yowling in pain, flinching and tensing even as his body changed and stretched, the fur receding back into smooth, tanned skin, the hairs on his head lengthening to reveal an almost wild, messy look, and toned, but still slim muscles on the richly-dressed young man who laid before Draco.

The blond was staring in shock, both at the transformation and the clothes that looked as nice as his own, but he then found himself gazing at Harry's face hopefully, anxious for it to have worked. When a pair of bright green eyes finally opened slightly and peered up at him, Draco's face lit up, and he lurched forward to hug his friend, his arms tight around the other obvious teen even as Harry's pained hiss reached his ears.

"Thanks," the brunet managed to gasp out, "but I think my ribs might be broken. Call for Lucius." Another pained intake of breath. "Please."

"But I'll be punished again-" Draco began, his sleep and stress-addled mind barely working at the moment.

"I won't let him! Please! Hurry!"

Nodding, Draco raced to his door and then out into the hall, not caring about still wearing his pajamas or decorum as he ran through the halls to his father's room, pounding on the man's door until it was finally pulled open by a disheveled and very angry duke, still wearing his robe.

"Draco! What is so important that it couldn't wait until breakfast?" he demanded, eyes narrowing down at his son.

"Harry's been hurt! He said it might be his ribs!" Concerned for his son's friend and his guest, Lucius tightened the belt on his robe and instructed Draco to call for Severus and wait for him, even as he rushed to the teen's room.

Upon his godfather's arrival, Draco hurriedly led the disgruntled man back to his room, only to find that his father had carefully levitated Harry onto the bed, and was currently staring at the injured young man in near shock. Before the teen could wonder why, Severus let out a choked sound from behind him before rushing forward, instantly answering Draco's unasked question.

"_Your Highness!"_


	5. Chapter 5

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 5 – "Don't Tell Them!"

Albus Dumbledore, the Prince's regent, looked down at the map on his desk anxiously. His adopted grandson had gone missing a little over a week ago, and he was beginning to grow very concerned. Molly had approached him one afternoon and asked to speak to him alone, whereupon she revealed that Harry, in a fit of teenaged rebellion, had run away from home. It had been a confusing thing to him, as he hadn't understood why Harry felt the need to leave the castle, where he had everything, but Molly insisted that it was just a little phase teenagers went through. He trusted her, as she had seven children, all having experienced their teen years, while he had never had any children of his own.

But it had been too long, and people had begun to whisper about the lack of seeing Prince James II. He couldn't allow this to continue, even if Harry had left to experience life as a commoner in order to better understand them, as Molly had explained. The prince had to come home now. So, he made the private official announcement to the castle staff that the prince had gone into hiding, hoping Harry would soon feel the need to return home, or at least that one of them might know where he is and be able to relay the message of his concern. Sighing, he studied the map, extending the circle he had drawn around the castle. It measured how far the boy could've traveled by that time, so he could contact each noble family within the area and ask for their assistance. The Malfoys, Krums, Lovegoods, and Crouches were all close enough to have already contacted him if they had seen him, and they would've recognized him. So he would skip them and go straight to the next families a little farther away, the Zabinis, Parkinsons, Longbottoms, and Bones'.

He had to retrieve Harry before he was captured by robbers or ransomers or some other type of criminal!

* * *

"Your Highness?" Draco repeated, staring in shock and confusion before moving over to his father, who allowed his son to stand beside him. "Why did Severus call him 'Your Highness', Father?" the younger blond was both worried for his friend, and also worried for his own sanity when he heard such a phrase coming from his godfather, not to mention the looks of concerned shock on the older men's usually-stoic faces.

"At times like these, Draco," Lucius began, "I regret never taking you to court. This young man is unmistakable. I've seen him numerous times myself, even swore my allegiance to him at his sixteenth birthday. This is Prince James II, though I don't know why he's been calling himself 'Harry'."

The young man on the bed groaned as Severus tested his ribs before declaring that yes, two of them were broken, but only small fractures, and nothing life-threatening. Even Draco knew that a broken rib could puncture a lung and cause Harry to choke and drown to death in his own blood. And now it would've meant also killing the prince.

As the blonds watched, Severus used a combination of magic and potions to help heal the teen, then wrapped a bandage around his ribs to help support them as they healed. "It'll be a few hours before he can get up and walk around, and then perhaps another day before he can be considered healed. And then I'll still want him to take it easy," he instructed, sending a look to Draco as though expecting him to be the one causing the most trouble. Honestly, Draco expected Harry would be the real troublemaker.

Bright green eyes opened and looked over to the group of men, and the brunet let out a groan of annoyance. "But I've already been cooped up and bored for days… You mean I have to go through it some more?"

"Harry!" Draco practically cried out, hurrying over to his side. "I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to!"

"So you said," the former kitten replied, smiling slightly to show he was just joking, and really did accept the other teen's apology.

"Prince James," Lucius murmured, approaching the bedside and kneeling. "I sincerely apologize for our rudeness, and for the injuries you received while under my protection."

"It's alright, Your Grace," Harry replied, grinning at the man who was almost his bedside height while kneeling and with his head bowed. "And just call me Harry."

"Why 'Harry?'" Draco interrupted, flushing in embarrassment when he felt his father and Severus frowning in his direction. "Sorry," he murmured, looking down.

"It's okay," the young prince assured his friend. "My name is Harry James, but everyone really liked my Dad, so I was given his name when I was crowned as a prince." He shrugged. "I prefer being called Harry, though."

The adults excused themselves, promising to have the teens' meals delivered to them, as Draco was instructed to stay and entertain the prince while he was resting. Not that either teen minded, the air needed to be cleared of their argument, and Draco had to be reassured that his actions weren't going to result in him being locked in a dungeon.

By the time Lucius returned after breakfast with Severus, the teens were both sitting on the bed and laughing. Draco's godfather checked on the young monarch's ribs before returning home with the promise to come back in the evening to inspect Harry's injuries again. Finally Lucius stepped forward and bowed politely.

"Your Highness, I've sent a notice to Lord Dumbledore to inform him of your location, since I was certain he must be worried-"

"NO!" Harry cried out, straightening up harshly. "Call your rider back! Don't let him know! They'll come and try to make me marry her again!" He was panicking and trying to get out of bed, and while he wouldn't listen to the duke, his new friend managed to convince Harry to lie back down, promising not to let anyone come and take him away, or make him do anything. The prince finally relaxed and began to drift off back to sleep; needing it due to his injury, the stress, and the potions he'd been given to help him heal. Unfortunately for the young ducal heir, though, he wouldn't release the other teen as he slept, keeping a grip on the arm that Draco had wrapped around him while calming him down. Lucius took this in with one eyebrow raised, then finally left the room, only to return moments later, hand Draco some books, and leave him to read while Harry napped, and the duke tried to call back his messenger.

Draco thought his arm might be numb by the time Harry finally released it when he was woken up for lunch, but he didn't complain for once, merely rubbed it and tried not to sulk. After all, he had broken two of Harry's ribs, a numb arm was the least he could have done to him in return. Plus it had only been for a few hours spent like that, so there was no real damage or pain to the limb.

Over lunch, he asked Harry about being a prince, and found out it was a lot more stressful than he'd realized. It also reminded him of their earlier argument (which they had agreed to let rest as a disagreement that they wouldn't discuss). Now he knew that everyone served Harry, really, including himself, and as a result Harry had to protect them from other kingdoms and natural forces. If Draco's home was damaged in a storm, the prince would be the first to offer him and his family a place to stay, simply because of his rank as monarch. It humbled Draco a little, and while he didn't like the feeling, he decided to try and lighten up on the servants. Just a bit. He had a reputation to protect still, after all.

Severus eventually returned and inspected Harry's injuries before declaring he could eat dinner at the dining table, for which the young royal was very relieved. Draco had to help him change into fresh clothing, though, which left both teens blushing even as they finally made their way to the dining room, refusing to talk about the awkward situations they had been in while trying to dress, such as when Draco's arms were around a half-naked prince, helping to pull up his pants since Harry couldn't bend down to do it himself.

Dinner was a little tense and awkward as a result, and there were a few questions from Narcissa about the situation (after more obligatory cooing at his cuteness, once she knew she could hug the prince). Finally, Draco slapped his fork down, flushed a dark red in embarrassment as he looked at Harry in annoyance. "This is just weird! I liked it better when you were a cat!"

The words had barely left his lips when Harry suddenly tensed up and gasped, curling up and shrinking in his seat. Everyone, including Draco, got up and hurried over to their royal guest, worried about him, only to find the tiny black kitten peering up at them again, tiny fangs baring as he hissed up at Draco.

"What did you just do?" he demanded, and the blond teenager simply gulped, not knowing what to say.

Thankfully, Severus did.

"That's it!" Everyone turned to look at the potions master, who also served as Draco's magic teacher when he was allowed to study. "I had been trying to determine the spell placed upon you, Your Highness. Now that I've seen Draco's ability to return you to your cat form, I believe I know what it is."

"Do tell, Severus," Narcissa requested, already petting the tiny furred figure again.

"It was an old spell meant to help a bride control a less-than-faithful husband. He had to receive her kiss in order to transform into a human, and would end up spending more time with her to gain the kiss as a result. It was meant to give them time for him to fall in love with her. The condition was, of course, the one who kissed him could always return him to his animal form in an attempt to control him if he returned to his… old ways. Or if he tried to use force on her or retaliate against her upon resuming his human form. No doubt the person who cast this on you, was hoping the time together would make you fall in love with the girl they chose, or at least control you."

Harry sighed and sat back on his haunches, his tail wrapping around himself. "What's worse, Albus trusts their family whole-heartedly. They've always been very loyal to us. That's why I panicked when you told me you sent the messenger, Lucius. Once he knows I'm here, he'll see nothing wrong with telling them, and the mother will no doubt try to capture me again and force me to marry her daughter again. It's even worse now that I'm in my cat form again, they'll think they still can control me with Ginny's kiss."

"On that note, Your Highness, I regret to inform you that I was unable to call back my messenger. He was sent out on our fastest horse, and was going as quickly as possible. There was no way to even intercept him." He looked at the cat apologetically, and Harry shuddered before shrinking back against the chair cushion again. Recognizing his friend's fear by now, though, Draco immediately scooped up the kitten and held him, petting him soothingly and reminding him that he had promised not to let the girl get to him again.

"Ginny… That name sounds familiar," Draco muttered, half in thought, and half hoping to distract Harry from the impending arrival of said girl's mother.

"Ginny Weasley, her older brother is my valet." Immediately, Lucius tensed up and frowned.

"Arthur Weasley's daughter?" he asked, his voice a little angry.

"Yes, why?" Harry watched as Lucius' grip on the arm of the chair tightened until his knuckles were white, and Severus cleared his throat to get his monarch's attention while the Duke resumed his composure.

"The Weasleys and Malfoys have never gotten along very well. When the Malfoys first received the duchy, the Weasley family argued against it, and tried to have it removed and given to their own family in return for their assistance in the war the king had won the lands from. But the Weasleys hadn't honestly done much, except to offer support while they stayed in the background. The Malfoys were in the background as well, but they gathered vital information to support the king, and warned him of assassination attempts. Since they hadn't wanted the celebrity of being heroes, it was kept quiet between the Malfoys and the royal family, and the Weasleys believed there had been no contribution, and sought to prove them unworthy, and to gain at least some lands for themselves."

Draco frowned at the news. "Well, now we definitely won't let the Weasleys have you," he finally declared, smiling down at his feline friend and laughing a little when Harry finally relaxed and began to purr in his relief.


	6. Chapter 6

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 6 – "You must come home"

No one was surprised when Albus Dumbledore arrived at the Malfoys' home the next evening, nor when they realized three of the Weasleys had come with him. They weren't happy about it, but they had accepted it as an inevitability, and were prepared, including resuming their cold, distant behavior. No more petting from Narcissa, or being fed shrimp by her, which disappointed the prince, who was still stuck as a kitten, much to his embarrassment. Draco was still refusing to kiss him again and return him to human form, and Lucius had actually told them both that it was a good idea to leave Harry as a kitten for now. When the young royal had protested, the duke had pointed out that otherwise, it might be hard to convince his regent as to what had happened to him. Therefore, much to his humiliation, Harry James Potter, also Prince James II, was currently sitting beside Draco, noticing how only two of his guests seemed to be aware of who he was, the other two looking around for him.

Molly Weasley had of course insisted on coming along, telling Dumbledore that with Ron as the prince's valet, he would certainly need to travel along with the regent to retrieve his master, and she would need to be with him, as he was still 'just a child'. As Ginny was even younger, she had to stay at her mother's side, and so was brought along. Both females were now watching Harry, both worried about the reaction, as well as hopeful, since he still hadn't changed back. This could work out if they played their cards right. Molly could insist that she hadn't been sure what the spell would do, and had merely been trying to help Harry find his animagus. As it was an ancient spell, her 'mistake' would be understandable, and since Harry had been showing an interest in discovering his animagus, just as his Father had, it was completely believable. And of course, in his panic, Harry ran off, leaving poor Molly and Ginny – whom she'd been teaching, of course – in shock. The witch could explain that she researched it more in-depth, and now knew how to help Harry. They'd claim they hadn't told Dumbledore due to their own shame at having caused such distress, and are desperate to apologize to his highness. In private, hopefully.

The real surprise was when the regent's former student, and now famous potions master and magician, Severus Snape, stepped out next to Draco Malfoy and the kitten at his feet. Severus was talented and knowledgeable enough to have worked in the palace, but had refused to do so due to his dislike of the king at the time. He wasn't a traitor in any way, and had honestly sworn his loyalty to the royal family. He had merely been in love with the queen when she had still been just a baron's daughter, and was jealous of the king, who had teased him when he was younger, for having the woman. He had nothing against the prince, though, especially as he seemed to take after his mother more than his father. It also helped that their first real meeting had been when Harry was a kitten, and so Severus wasn't able to see the father in the son.

As the group stood together, making the proper introductions, finally the question came up, asked by none other than Dumbledore himself.

"You said Harry was here. Is he waiting elsewhere for us, Your Grace?" At this, the young prince mewled and pawed at the air to get the attention on him, though it was only a brief glance from the regent before he looked back to the duke. Huffing in annoyance, Harry finally spoke up.

"Not even a hello for me?" he asked, his tail twitching behind him. "I think I might be offended." Now all eyes were on him as he stood and stretched, yawning and showing his sharp fangs for a second. "It's still good to see you again, though. I've been enjoying myself here, and would like to stay until I'm human again for good."

Dumbledore seemed to be speechless for once. Finally he managed to find his voice, and spoke down to the kitten who currently had all of his attention.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Albus."

"How did this happen?" Immediately, Molly Weasley interrupted the conversation, stepping forward.

"I'm afraid it was my fault," she began, surprising most of the people. The only ones not surprised were the elder Malfoys, and Severus, who knew there was still a plot somewhere. "I was attempting to surprise our prince and give him a gift – a spell I had found to reveal a person's animagus form. He became a cat, and I'm afraid he must have panicked and tried to escape, believing himself to be under attack. We were desperate to catch him, as Ginny had been with me, hoping to learn about the spell for her own witchcraft lessons, but he eluded us, and we were desperate to find him and apologize, and hopefully help him back to his normal form. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't inform you due to my own humiliation." She looked down, appearing to be properly embarrassed and guilty. All three of the suspicious adults recognized the ploy for what it was, as did Draco and Harry now, the feline of the pair nearly bristling at the lie.

But Dumbledore accepted it, and leveled a stern look at the matriarch of the Weasley clan. "I appreciate your attempt to help our prince, Molly, but next time you make a mistake, I expect you to come to me first. And you most certainly owe an apology to Harry."

Nodding, the woman stepped closer to Harry, who really did bristle this time before he moved slightly behind Draco's legs, making the blond fight the urge to blush. He was actually being trusted by the prince to protect him! It was a new feeling to him. So instead, he did as his family had taught him, and merely lifted his chin proudly and narrowed his eyes at the threat to his best friend. Maybe more. Did people kiss their best friends? He should find someone his own age to ask, who wasn't the prince, and certainly not the Weasley currently glaring at him. He couldn't even pretend to be civil, and Draco found himself wondering how Harry put up with that for so long.

"I really am very sorry, Your Highness," Molly apologized, drawing Draco's thoughts back to the person in front of him. "I was only attempting to help you, and had no idea of the problems I would cause." Harry opened his mouth to tell the woman to tell the truth, but Dumbledore was already patting her shoulder consolingly, smiling fondly down at the royal.

"There you are, Harry. Surely there's no hard feelings now." Harry begged to differ, but his grandfatherly regent was being grandfatherly oblivious, and instead barreled on. "However, as to your request to stay here, I'm afraid I must deny you that." He looked down at Harry with a saddened smile. "I truly am sorry, Harry, but the people have begun to wonder about their prince, and you must make an appearance at the castle, cat or man. Just knowing you're safe and healthy will be enough to soothe the subjects, and surely you must miss your home?"

Now Harry was going to make sure his displeasure was known, and he hissed in annoyance, surprising everyone, including the Malfoys, who hadn't yet seen such a display of their prince's temper.

"I said I'm staying here!" Harry declared, his claws extending in reaction to his intense displeasure.

"I'm sorry, Harry, I'm afraid I have to insist. It's time to come home. Don't worry, I'm sure the duke wouldn't mind you visiting from time to time, and may even bring young Draco to the castle, if you have become such close friends." He looked over to Lucius. "We can discuss the situation for a moment while the young ones visit, I'm sure? No doubt Harry has missed his friends as well, and would like to introduce them to his new friend." It was no doubt a little rude to invite yourself into another room for a discussion with your hosts, but being the regent had its perks, including a bit more leniency in regards to being polite.

Once left alone, Draco saw both Weasleys moving towards Harry, and immediately scooped the cat up into his arms. He refused to look down, knowing the black kitten would no doubt be looking up at him in amazement, but instead glared at the Weasleys, especially Ginny.

"You and I both know that was a lie, little Weasley. Why not tell the truth? That you and your mother cursed Harry in order to force him into marriage with you." Ginny froze and paled, looking at Harry as if to confirm he had told Draco, and the kitten merely purred and relaxed back against his friend.

"How dare you!" Ron burst out, his face and ears red in his outrage at the accusation. "Ginny would never do that! And neither would our mum! You heard her! It was an accident!"

"And you believed it?" Draco drawled, sounding positively bored, when he was mostly just astounded by the lack of common sense this teen showed. Especially when Ron reacted by reaching out and grabbing a fistful of Draco's shirt, pulling back his other hand to hit him. Being a magic user, Draco wasn't raised to fight with his fists, and since his wand was still locked away in his father's study, all he could do was try and defend himself with his one free hand. But it turned out not to be necessary, as Harry protected him this time, hissing and clawing at Ron's hand until the redhead released him. Ginny gasped in shock as the prince's valet snatched back his hand, which was now bleeding from the numerous claw marks in it.

"You know," Harry declared coldly, "I think in this form I don't really need a valet. Your services are no longer necessary, Ronald Weasley. I release you from your duty, for the indefinite future." Both teens were staring in shock, Ginny beginning to blink back tears, knowing they had just turned the royal house against them, and could even be punished for having possibly attacked the prince.

The adults, having heard the commotion, hurried back into the room, to find a smug Draco holding a defensive, hissing Harry, watching as a sobbing Ginny clung to her older brother, who was busy cradling his own bloody hand. As Severus was the calmest of the adults at the moment, it was he who was left to ask the important question.

"What happened this time?"


	7. Chapter 7

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 7 – "Welcome Home, Your Highness!"

"I was attacked," Draco declared before either Weasley could try to change the story again. "Harry defended me." Immediately the adults reacted, each in their own way. Narcissa walked over to her son and guest, trying not to look like she was hurrying, before inspecting them both to make sure they were well. Lucius drew himself up and glared coldly at the Weasleys, gripping his cane tightly in his hand as if ready to draw his wand and turn it on the intruders, for that's what they were now. Severus was sending his older master a look that said explicitly, 'I told you so'. And Molly hurried over to her children, looking over them both, before turning back to Draco, her face reddening in her anger.

"That's not true! My Ron wouldn't attack anyone! Certainly not his prince! They're best friends!" Harry laughed, the sound strange coming from a tiny black kitten. Then, before Draco could stop him, he lunged up, pressing the tiny muzzle against the blond's lips. To the Weasley women's horror, Harry reverted back to his human form, glaring furiously at the redheads.

"Why not ask _me _what happened?" the prince snapped, frowning before turning to his regent. "Molly and Ginny placed this spell on me in order to force me to marry Ginny. Molly told me that all I had to do was kiss Ginny, and I would be human again. _That's_ when I ran away, and why."

"Now, Harry, surely-" But the prince was on a roll, and wasn't about to stop for the elderly man.

"No! I know what happened! Severus even confirmed it!" A glance at the potions master resulted in an agreeing nod, and the guilty women gasped. "And just now, when Draco told Ginny they should confess the truth, and Ron tried to hit Draco, calling him a liar. Since Draco was still holding me, I intervened, and scratched Ron's hand bloody!" He glared at his former friend. "I also dismissed him as my valet."

"Harry, tempers are running high, and Ron has been your friend for so long," Albus attempted, though he refused to look at Molly, who was gasping and gripping her family close to her. "Surely you should calm down and reconsider…"

"I'm not reconsidering, but I will calm down, as soon as they're gone. And I want them gone from the castle, too." Now this was a blow, as it meant that the family was losing their favoritism, and would no longer receive the benefits that came with living inside of the prince's castle. They could still live in the castle town, but not within the actual palace, and would no longer have the ear of the royal when needed. "I have nothing against the family, but these three have lost my favor. I want them out of my home."

Albus, knowing that being regent meant that he still had to listen to his prince, nodded in understanding. "But Harry," he pointed out, ready to use this to make his point, "you'll have to return home so that everyone understands it's your wish, not mine."

The Malfoys tensed, ready for another outburst from the former feline, but Harry merely nodded. "Only if Draco is allowed to come with me." When Albus looked dubious, the prince continued. "If I revert to my cat form, then I'll need Draco there to become human again. I can't let the people see me as anything other than a man."

"I insist," Lucius spoke up, tapping his cane on the floor in his determination. "Severus, will you chaperone my son at the castle? I've realized that Draco has seen far too little of the rest of the kingdom, and the people found in it." The dark-haired wizard seemed to be almost annoyed, but merely nodded his head to his friend. Anyone who really knew Severus could tell he wasn't really upset about the trip, and most likely only found it a minor inconvenience.

"I suppose so. It will allow me to continue Draco's lessons, though you'd have to be willing to trust him with his wand for the time he's gone." At this news, the teenaged blond, who had been trying not to sputter or gape at having these decisions made for him, suddenly perked up and looked hopefully at his father. When Lucius nodded in agreement, it took all he had not to cheer or do something even more outrageous, such as hug both men. Instead he forced himself to hold very still, smiling gratefully at them both before looking back to Harry and Albus.

"Very well," Dumbledore agreed on a long sigh. "I suppose it can be allowed. Harry, if you will prepare to leave, then I will finish with our business here." He glanced in the direction of the Weasleys, making it clear what that business was. Normally, Harry would insist on being involved, but it was still a bit personal for him, and so he knew he needed to calm down or he would do or say something he might regret later. Besides, he knew how Draco was. While Harry didn't have to do much to get ready to leave, Draco would no doubt stand in front of his wardrobe for hours if Harry wasn't there to rush him.

* * *

The ride to the castle was filled with excited questions from the blond, though since Dumbledore rode in a different carriage he didn't hear them. That might be why Draco was so openly curious, in fact. Albus had wanted Harry to ride with him, but the brunet had refused, wanting to stay with his friend, which ended up being a good idea, as it meant the Weasleys had to ride with the indignant regent, who used the time to coldly ignore them after having learned of their treachery, including the multiple lies to him. Ginny sobbed against her mother's side, while Ron glared angrily out the window. Molly had tried to talk to Dumbledore, but after a while had given up and merely stared to an empty space in the carriage in silence. She would've used magic to make Albus forget, if the man hadn't been such a powerful magician in his own right.

And so it was that Severus and Harry were the ones who fell victim to Draco's curiosity, having to answer endless questions until the castle finally came into sight, and the blond grew silent as he stared in amazement. Only the carriage slowly coming to a stop and the door opening caused his mouth to snap shut, remebering his father's lessons on how Malfoys should behave.

"Welcome home, Your Highness!" the servants cried out, lined up by the front doors and delighted to see their prince again after his long absence. Dumbledore had arrived a little while before Harry, and had informed the staff, while the Weasleys were sent to relocate their belongings. Living in the castle meant that they had rooms in the palace, but now they would have to move into an empty house for the servants. It was a humiliating blow, but the Weasley trio would have to explain to the rest of their family as to the reasons.

Harry grinned and waved to the assembled staff, laughing when Hermione rushed forward to hug him and began to lecture him. Thankfully, some of his other friends and local nobles were visiting in their concern over him. They were Cedric Diggory, Viktor Krum, and Neville Longbottom, who lived not too far from the castle. They were all lesser nobles, but still nobility, and so recognized Draco as well. Hermione, being a servant, didn't know him, but Neville explained it to her in whispers. When she asked around vaguely about Ron while Harry was busy introducing Draco to the staff to make sure they'd listen to him too, Severus informed her of the Weasleys' actions towards the prince. Immediately she hurried off, muttering under her breath about needing to hit the redhead with the thickest book in the library. Smirking briefly in amusement, he turned back to the still-awestruck Draco, who was being pulled into the palace by an excited Prince.

Letting out a sound of annoyance, he ended up having to follow Albus into the castle while their luggage was unloaded and taken to some rooms, Harry insisting that Draco would have the room beside his own. This was an honor that no one had held before the blond. Not that the teen knew that, but he did notice the surprised looks the other nobles shared, and made the decision to ask them later about it. Plus he did know Viktor Krum pretty well from other parties he had attended, so he decided to also ask him about the relationship between himself and Harry. After all, it had been one thing when he had to kiss Harry to turn him human, but what did it say about him that he contemplated returning Harry to his cat form just so he could kiss him again? Not wanting to kiss the kitten, but wanting the excuse to kiss the prince. Harry. And even more important, was it something he should tell his best friend, or was this something he should keep to himself?


	8. Chapter 8

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 8 – "There's nothing between us!"

"Harry must really like you, Draco," Cedric said as soon as the door closed. They had only reached the parlor when a pair of redheaded twins had rushed in. They had begged to talk to Harry alone, sounding desperate, and the prince had agreed to give them a private audience, then asked Draco if he minded giving him a moment. When the blond agreed, the trio had left the room, Harry apologizing to everyone and excusing himself.

Now that the other young nobles were alone, the other three had turned to the young Malfoy curiously. Longbottom seemed to be a little nervous, which made sense, while Krum merely watched quietly. He never did talk much, but that was fine with Draco. Usually when the other young man spoke, it was always something important. He knew it was just that Viktor was a quiet person by nature, though some in the kingdom whispered it was because the Krums were a foreign family who helped out during the war, and so were given lands and a title, though their accent had stayed with them, since they spent most of their time back in their own homeland. If the family knew about the rumors, it never seemed to bother them, though.

So Cedric was the only one who chose to point out what he felt was obvious. At the observation, though, Draco fought the need to blush, and frowned instead.

"What are you talking about, Diggory?" he asked as haughtily as possible, looking off in another direction. If it happened to be at the door Harry just left through… Well, he wasn't paying attention. It was a coincidence.

"I'm talking about Prince Harry liking you, Draco. And something tells me you might like him, too." He smiled and approached the blond, who took a step back. Not that he was intimidated. Of course not! Not by Cedric Diggory, especially! Though he was left gaping at the next two questions. "So what happened since the last time we saw Prince Harry? And just how close ARE the two of you?"

"Who said we were close?!" Draco argued, crossing his arms and glaring at the other young men.

"You were the only one Harry asked about being fine with him leaving," Viktor pointed out quietly, Longbottom nodding silently behind him. "He didn't ask about our feelings, and you didn't insult him, or even call him rude." It was well known that the Malfoys didn't abide rudeness, and it _was_ considered rude to abandon your guests unless it was an emergency. It was an argument that the blond really couldn't deny.

"I- He- We-" he kept trying to come up with some sort of explanation, and frantically found himself wishing for Harry to return and keep him from being interrogated like this. Not that he didn't have questions of his own, but he had hoped to ask only one person, not to be surrounded as he was, and have the tables turned on him.

"Malfoys don't sputter," Cedric pointed out, grinning at the floundering blond. They all seemed to be moving closer, and Draco was left feeling more and more uncomfortable in the situation. Frantically, he tried to think of something, anything, he could say or do in order to escape his current predicament.

"There's nothing!" He finally snapped. "He needed help, and I only helped him because he's the prince! There's absolutely nothing between us, and I have no desire for there to be!" As he stood there, stressed and even breathing a little hard from his yelling, one of the large doors Harry had left from finally opened, admitting the prince they had just been talking about, as well as the twin redheads. From the looks on the twins' faces, it was obvious they had heard every word of Draco's declaration. Worried, the blond looked over to the young monarch, but Harry was determinedly not looking at him, and the ducal heir knew he had messed up. Very badly.

"Sorry, everyone, there was a slight issue while I was gone, and I needed to take care of it. Since I've been traveling all day, I think I'm going to rest before dinner. I'll see you at the meal, though, don't worry." He looked over to the twins again. "Also, 'Gred' here will be my valet temporarily, since Ron is… not available. So if you need anything, he won't be available, but others should be." Of the Weasley brood, Bill assisted with Harry's treasurer, while Charlie helped take care of the animals, but it was the twins who knew the castle inside and out, and could move about easier than anyone, and so were usually assigned to help the guests move about the castle, or retrieve items for them.

"Ah... Harry-" Draco began, and finally those green eyes turned toward him. But he noticed that the royal didn't actually look him in the eyes, and instead seemed to be looking either at his forehead, or at some place above and behind his head.

"Draco," Harry interrupted, speaking in his general direction, "I've assigned 'Forge' here to be your valet while you're here." Pale blue eyes looked over in the redhead's direction, then back towards the obviously upset prince. "I apologize again, but I do need to rest, and let Fred get used to my rooms. Draco, I'd recommend you do the same for George. Neville, Cedric, Viktor, I'll see you at dinner. Sorry again." With that last apology, Harry and the assigned redhead quickly left the room. The trio of young nobles looked a little curiously over to the distraught Malfoy, even as the other redhead twin came over.

"Well, then, I'll show you to your room, shall I?" the young man asked, though truthfully he was definitely a little older than Draco. "C'mon, you won't get lost as long as you stick with me, right mates?" The now nearly-silent trio nodded, and said their goodbyes, promising to see their peer at dinner. Well, two did, at least. Viktor stayed quiet, and merely nodded in the Malfoy's direction.

As they entered the hallway, Forge – or was it George? – looked over at him.

"You sure wedged your foot in, didn't you?" he asked, making the young future duke blink in surprise up at him. And really, did the Weasleys all have to be so bloody tall?! It was infuriating to him. "I mean with Harry," the redhead clarified. "Opened your mouth wide, and shoved your foot right in!" He tossed his head back and laughed, as if it was the most amusing thing in the world to him at the moment.

"I don't see how that's any business of yours!" Draco snapped, feeling the pink beginning to return to his cheeks. "And he's Prince Harry to you!" After all, he was a noble, and this obvious Weasley was only a servant.

"Ha!" the older of the two replied. "Nah, he's always been Harry to us. His parents were great people, don't get me wrong, but being King and Queen is a busy job, and so the little prince was left alone a lot. Being 'big kids', we were often asked to help watch Harry under the image of playing with him. After all, he didn't have any other real playmates. So we would take our toys and play with him, and we ended up being best mates. Eventually our little fool of a brother, Ron, joined in, and he and Harry became friends as well." George grinned at him as he opened a large door, allowing Draco into a very spacious and ornate room, fit for a prince, in the blond's opinion. "Of course, Ron could be an annoying little prat at times. Thankfully we were much more level-headed."

As Draco looked around, George plopped down in one of the chairs.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting yourself used to moving about these rooms?" the Malfoy heir asked, looking in the other's direction.

"Are you kidding? Of course not, you're a Malfoy," the redhead answered his own question. "Too bad you haven't been here more. You would know that Fred and I know this castle better than anyone, even Harry. Even better than Dumbledore! I don't need to get used to this room, I've inspected every last speck of dust that could be found in here already. And I know what you expect, to look your absolute best at every opportunity, like a proper Malfoy." He grinned again at Draco's shocked face. "Your parents have been here enough," George said as explanation.

"Then why are you still here?" the blond couldn't help but ask.

"Simple. I'm curious about what happened back there. Harry told us about the curse put on him, and how you helped him. And _how_ you helped him," the Weasley pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows in Draco's direction, making him shudder a little at ever seeing a lecherous look on that man's face again. "Harry made it sound like you two had grown much closer than you said."

"He did?" the blond asked, both curious and a little hopeful. "What did he say?"

"Well, that doesn't matter at the moment, does it?" George asked. "What matters is what you said. What happened?"

Draco thought for a moment before deciding on a compromise. He really wanted to know, after all. "Will you tell me what Harry said if I tell you?" he offered, watching the redhead, who immediately shrugged.

"Sure thing, mate. I'm just curious." After a few more moments for Draco to inspect his temporary valet for any deceit, the blond finally broke down, needing to tell someone.

"It was them! They kept crowding me and demanding answers! They wouldn't stop harassing me! I had to say something! Besides, it's not like we've done anything, I've just kissed him to turn him human!" As he spoke, Draco paced frantically, his hands waving around in the air, feeling brown eyes watching him as he moved back and forth.

"Do you _want _to kiss him as a human, though?" George asked, keeping an eye on the young noble.

"NO!" Draco snapped, spinning to glare at the surprised servant. George had really expected something else, but the ducal heir continued before he could ask about it. "No!" he repeated. "You agreed to answer my question, first! About what Harry said! I'm not telling you anything else until you tell me!"

George let out the breath he'd been holding, and laughed in relief. "Oh, that? Well, let's just say that I don't think he'd mind you kissing him. Or maybe he should kiss you? Which are you, the prince or the princess in a relationship?" he asked, reclining in the seat.

"What? Neither! I'm the son of a duke!" Seeing the confusion written across the pale face, George's own freckled one lit up.

"You don't know _anything _about romantic relationships, do you?" he asked gleefully, leaning forward to watch Draco.

"Ah! I- What? What is there to know? A man and a woman marry and eventually have a child, right?" Unable to help it, George began to laugh hysterically. Just as Draco was getting furious and ready to storm from the room, the redhead reached out and grabbed the young heir's arm, switching places with him so that Draco now was sitting on the chair instead.

"Very well, then! I'll explain everything to you, my young pupil! When I get done, you'll know all you ever could!" Rubbing his hands together gleefully, George locked the door to make sure they wouldn't be disturbed, and then began to explain and actually teach Draco the one thing his family had never thought to.


	9. Chapter 9

**The ****Frog**** Cat Prince**

Chapter 9 – "So Sorry, My Queen!"

"George?!" Fred asked, almost desperately as he and Harry entered the prince's chambers. "Harry, I know that Malfoy acted like a prat, and that what he said must've been hurtful, but you know how George is!" He blinked in surprise when Harry, who had been walking in front of him, finally turned around to look at him. And he was _smiling_. "You're _counting _on it, aren't you?"

The prince nodded, beginning to laugh a little. "You're right, Fred, I _do_ know how George is. And really, Draco needs the education. If he gets a little mental scarring at the same time, well, then he can finally share my pain." At this, Fred plopped himself down on one of the chairs and began to laugh.

"Oh, that's right! Well, at least we know he'll get an _extensive_ education," the Weasley twin replied, grinning up at his prince. Currently, Harry was looking through his possessions, trying to set up a dinner outfit. Usually he had Ron do this, but since he currently had no valet, it was a little more difficult. Fred wouldn't be able to do much other than cheer or jeer as Harry tried each one on.

"Agreed," Harry answered, almost absent-mindedly. "My own education was at the hands of both of you, and it was bad enough as it was back then. I have no idea what you – or George – have learned since then, but I do know that, while you both accept either gender, you're the one who prefers girls, while George prefers blokes, like me. Which reminds me, I never did figure out how you learned all of those things when you were so young?" Harry himself had received his own horrific 'talk' from the twins when he was 11 years old, and the twins were 12. So he knew that they didn't have the knowledge from their own personal experience then.

"Oh, you know. We had just received our own 'talk' from dear old Dad – who sends his best, by the way – and in an attempt to try and understand what the message was between all of that fancy talk the adults use, birds and bees and the like, we began to do what we do best."

"You snuck around and spied."

"Of course!" Fred agreed with a smirk. "Oh, it was a _very _interesting, and educational time! We also asked Bill and Charlie, since they had a couple more years on us." Bill, the eldest Weasley child, had been about 17 at the time, and Charlie was 16.

"What about Percy?" At this question, Fred gave Harry a look that very clearly showed his concern for his friend's mental health.

"Percy? Bloody hell, Harry! Dear ol' Perce knew less than you back then! At least you knew about kissing!"

"I walk in on some servants kissing _one time _and it never goes away!"

"Harry," Fred continued, grinning at the young monarch, "If Perce ever did get married, he would no doubt inform his wife to fill out the proper paperwork and be sure to file it with him if she ever thought of considering the possibility of the two of them maybe sharing a bed sometime in the distant future!" Unable to help it, Harry began to laugh so hard he almost dropped the clothes he was holding, simply because he knew it was very true. The third Weasley child seemed to have taken to his job so seriously that, at times, his relationship with his own family suffered for it.

"Besides," the twin went on, sending Harry a flirtatious grin, "Bill and Charlie were the ones who fancied you. We thought they'd want to have some say in your 'education'." Now the prince really did drop the clothing, staring in a mixture of shock and horror at his friend.

"What?!"

"Oh yes, they definitely fancied you. But you were too young. Cute, but too young. Adorable, but too young. Absolutely lovable." Fred grinned. "But too young. So, they grew out of it and began to think of you as their little brother. I wouldn't be surprised if that was part of the driving force behind Mum's decision. She always wanted you to be a part of the family, she likely saw Ginny as her last resort." The redhead's grin disappeared when Harry turned to frown at him in annoyance, obviously not as amused at the idea.

"That doesn't make what she and Ginny did any better, Fred. If anything, it makes it worse, for cursing someone whom she considers a member of her family." Sighing, he set out the last outfit. "Well, which one?"

"I know it doesn't help, mate. I'm just saying. Besides, now it's just her and Ginny and Ron in that new outside house. Dad moved in with Bill for a little while, saying he wanted to have the chance to calm down until he could talk to her about what she and Ginny did." He stood and walked over to the bed, where Harry had set out the clothing. "Now I see the real reason you chose for me to come with you instead of George. If he had been the one in such a close proximity of you and a bed, you might not have made it out with your virginity intact. Also, go for that one near the end, with the emerald. Those pants show off your bum pretty nicely."

Harry was too busy choking on air as he attempted to breathe through his shock at the notice, but still managed to set that outfit aside, shaking his head.

"Speaking of your royal bum, your highness…" Fred began to inch closer to the door. "Do you plan to be the prince or the princess in the relationship?"

"I thought it would be obvious," Harry told him as he began putting away the clothing that hadn't been chosen. "I'm going to be the prince. I _am_ the prince, after all!"

"Oh?" the redhead asked, his hand on the doorknob, "I don't know… Slender and delicate, with a nice bum… For some reason, I always took you for the princess."

"What?!" Harry snapped, turning to glare at his friend, only to see where he was. "Fred…"

"So sorry, my Queen! Won't happen again, my Queen!" Quickly, the twin raced out of the door, a furious prince running after him, yelling threats mixed with cries of, "I'm not a bloody woman!"

* * *

Severus Snape was making his way to the room Albus had told him was for his use, only to leap to the side of the hall as what was obviously a Weasley went flying past him, saying something about queens and princesses. Before he could even pull himself away from the wall, he was pressed back against it as the Potter heir came up from the same direction as the redhead had, screaming something about cutting off some certain parts of the Weasley that the potions master was certain would be excruciatingly painful, and which he personally had no desire to confirm. He would've blamed it on the prince's Potter blood, except he happened to remember a very frightening first meeting with the boy's mother, when Severus had accidentally stepped on the flower she'd been trying to make bloom with her magic. She had chased him for quite a while, screaming about hexing his hair to flash pink and purple, and he had run, simply from the terrifying image she presented when angered. Truly, who knew the Potter child took so much after his mother?

Shaking his head, he continued on towards the location of his room, only to pause a couple of hallways later, at what sounded like Draco yelling for help. Hurrying to the room he could hear his friend's son's cries coming from, he paused at the door as he heard another person talking almost jovially about something he knew Draco had never been educated in. Snatching his hand away from the doorknob as if he had been burned, a slightly shaken Potions master quickly finished the trek to his assigned chambers, sighing in relief once safely inside.

He informed the first servant he saw to deliver his regrets to Albus that he had apparently had a more tiring day than he had earlier thought, and so would be dining in his room so he could retire early. After shutting the door, practically on the servant's face, Severus looked around frantically, finally groaning at the sight of the liquor cabinet set up in one of the corners. He hurried over and poured himself a drink, tossing it back and swearing on everything dark and painful that he _would _be making Lucius suffer for making him come to the castle to watch over his precious boy.

He smirked to himself as he poured himself a second drink. Oh yes, Lucius would _suffer._

* * *

Upon receiving the notice from one of the serving girls that Severus Snape would not be joining them for dinner, due to having a 'tiring and trying day', Albus Dumbledore had merely smiled and dismissed the young lady before sitting back in his chair, looking over the piles of paperwork on his desk. Considering Harry was back, and the Weasley twins had no doubt sought him out, he could only assume what was going on in the halls right now, but he was certain that he was safest right here, reading and signing boring papers.

"Ah, Severus," he said to himself, laughing softly, "now you see what I have been dealing with for years."

Well, at least dinner promised to be an exciting event.


End file.
